The Feel of Me
by Gray Svend
Summary: Sideshow Bob is freed from prison after his last failed attempt to kill Bart Simpson. He wants to make things right in his world again, but what will Bart do when he apologises for trying to kill him? Rated M just in case. [BobXBart] Ch6 up!
1. Chapter 1

The Feel of Me

By: redskii

The plan was simple: kill Bart and get away with it.

But then... why was it so hard? Why did he always pause in feign suspense as the boy came up with a daring get-away plan that ruined him?

Why, then, did Robert Terwilliger feel so relieved while he was spending time in prison with his nemesis skateboarding to freedom?

Sideshow Bob looked in the mirror of his small cell. Dark, heavy bags under his drooping blue eyes gave evidence of him not being able to sleep a wink since he came back to prison yesterday. The only thing on his mind was his last failed attempt to kill Bart Simpson.

Ah, he remembered the days well! The Simpsons family had "visited" him and his family in Italy where he was elected mayor after saving the town's reputation. Unfortunately, Lisa, the girl with whom he was "fairly indifferent", decided to get drunk and expose his previous intentions on killing Bart, in front of his new, perfect life.

His new family, Francesca and Gino, had helped him wholeheartedly in trying to capture the family that had ruined him. Alas, his wife and child had left him after he wanted to chase the dysfunctional Simpsons into the states. Bob had agreed that he would return after he was finished with the job...

'Maybe,' he had whispered under his breath.

Now he was back where he belonged, and his family had no idea that the 'unstoppable' plan that he had worked up failed.

Well, no more!

Sideshow Bob splashed his weathered face with cool water, startling the guard who was sleeping peacefully outside of the cell. The man looked over at Bob and lolled back to sleep quickly.

The redhead groaned and slipped back into his cot, looking up at the all-too-familiar ceiling. He cursed to himself. Why couldn't he pull a murder off?!?

"I don't want to go back to Italy." He murmured, drooping his eyelids and frowning. "I'll stay here...!" And then what? Bob sighed and closed his eyes.

"Sideshow Bob?"

The guard was at the bars of the criminal's cell holding a clipboard and looking at him with an odd sideways glance. It had been a month after the convict had come back to the Springfield prison.

"Yes, what do you want? Let me rot in peace." Bob kept his eyes closed and clenched his teeth.

"Well, I have just received a message that... umm..." The guard made a confused face and shook his head.

"Out with it." The former Sideshow act growled.

"Well, you have been bailed, Mr. Bob."

Silence.

"Sideshow... Bob?"

"Who... would do this? I don't have any friends in America." Bob got up from his cot and wandered over to the bars of his cell, looking the slightly burly guard in the eye.

"Umm, let's see..." the other man flipped through the papers in his clipboard. "Hmm, that's odd!" He said in surprise. "The person prefers to be left anonymous."

"W... What?" Sideshow Bob clamped his hands around the bars and opened his eyes in shock. He grabbed the clipboard with little resistance from the guard and flipped through it. "Y-you are right!"

The sentry took out his keys and unlocked the cell door.

"I'll get your things Mr. Bob." He said, leading the ex-convict to a dressing room and handing him his clothes and a few other things that Bob carried around with him like a wallet and some keys that the owner had no idea where they went.

Sideshow Bob got dressed and, lead by the guard, was directed to the exit of the prison.

"Hope you don't get into any more trouble!" the sentry said, shaking the hand of a happy Bob.

"I promise, my friend!" he said in a truly grateful tone of voice, shaking his hand, for he really wouldn't try to kill Bart... ever again! "See you around town!"

_Hey there this is redskii! I gotta say that the first chapter of "The Feel of Me" was kinda slow, but it gets better... I guess. Haha, well, I'll imitate the personalities of every character as best as I can. Criticism and Compliments are very much appreciated! _

_Enjoy!_

_redskii_


	2. Chapter 2

Free!

Now Sideshow Bob's mind was preoccupied with finding out who would free a murderer such as him? Why would anyone want a criminal on the loose? Not that he was going to do anything bad any more.

'I suppose this is Springfield.' Bob thought in a sarcastic tone. 'Nothing needs a direct answer around here.'

He wandered slowly through the streets of his hometown, passing all of the landmarks that he felt were close to his heart. The City Hall, Aztec Theater, Moe's Tavern... all of the places he used to enjoy until he became a criminal. He found his old apartment and was surprised to find everything in the same place. But now, since he had saved up tons of money, he could buy a real home.

But, that wasn't important right now. Sideshow Bob needed to thank whoever had let him out!

It couldn't be Cecil, his brother, only because they never got along. It also couldn't be Krusty or Sideshow Mel because of his rude behavior towards the beloved clowns. Maybe it was Francesca and Gino! Maybe they came from Italy to free him! But then again, it couldn't be. They would be too busy in the town with the many things that needed to be done. And, again, they didn't know that he was back in prison.

Sideshow Bob ran through every single person in Springfield, and everyone he knew in this world, and found a reason why they weren't the one who freed him.

A week passed and all he did was visit old places that he hadn't seen in months. Sideshow Bob spent some of his large account of saved money on a little town home at the edge of Springfield. It had a small fireplace, a basement and all of the necessary rooms, like the master bedroom, the kitchen and the dining room.

He had been in Italy for a very long time, he just realized.

One morning, as he zoned on his thinking, he walked through the residential sector of the town.

It surprised even himself to see that he was right in front of Bart Simpson's house.

His heart did a flip and he began to speed-walk away, but he was stopped by the familiar nasally voice of his rival.

"Hey, Bob." Bart said as he leaned out of his window, a grim expression on his normally happy face.

"Hello, Bart...!" Sideshow Bob said with a delayed expression. He was incredibly astonished that he had been able to breathe, let alone speak.

"So... you're out of prison, huh?" the boy said, with a heavy frown on his features.

The ex-convict smiled and nodded. "Yes, let out a week ago!" Bob looked at his feet and then back up at his previous rival. "No... no hard feelings, right? About me trying to... kill you all of these years?"

Bart smirked and got up out of his window perch. "Hold on," he said, grabbing his jacket and running down the steps. He told his parents that he was going to hang with Millhouse (not like they cared or anything) and nonchalantly went out the door, walking over to Bob. They sauntered in silence while Bart thought of a good response.

Sideshow Bob kept quiet, although he was unbelievably anxious to hear Bart's answer.

Finally the boy spoke.

"I guess that I shouldn't be mad... especially since I was the one who freed you."

Bart looked at the ground as he walked, a strange, happy feeling brewing inside of him. Why should he be happy? He had just let out a dangerous criminal for crying out loud! The man could turn on him as quick as a bolt of lightning and kill him right then and there!

But Bob was speechless.

"You know, you are the only person that I never thought about while I was pondering the possibilities of who expelled me from the prison." He said finally, chuckling. "Not that that isn't surprising.

"Yeah."

They continued to wander through the streets of Springfield passing other landmarks of interest like the Power Plant and the Elementary School.

"Why, exactly, did you do it?" Sideshow Bob said after a while. It was nearly five in the afternoon, but neither minded since it was the fall break and there was nothing to do, anyway.

Bart shrugged and shook his head.

"It's... complicated. You wouldn't get it."

"I have all the time in the world... you should at least _try_ to explain."

The boy frowned and looked around. They were miles away from his home, so he decided to go the extra miles to go to a truly wonderful place that he hadn't seen since second grade. He figured that no one would be there at this time of day. He started to lead Bob away from the town and up to the highest point in Springfield: the Observatory.

"Well, I guess I should start when you first tried to kill me, at the lake. I was really shocked when I got your letters... I forgot totally about your promise to kill me. When we had to change our names, I was really sad because I could never see my home again. But then, when you took over the boat, I had a good feeling that we were going to go back to Springfield and decided to remain as calm as possible, not wanting you to see how weak I was at the moment." Bart laughed a bit. "And then when you threatened me, giving me a last request, I thought about something that would make me laugh before I died, and that was having you singing the HMS Pinafore."

Bob had to agree that the thought of Bart of all people asking for a classic musical to be sung for him was hilarious at that time.

Bart continued, sighing. "I almost cried... I know, it's weird for a rebel like me to appreciate old people music, but the ending! It took all of my strength not to cry... both from your voice and from the fact that I was going to be killed. When you took out your knife, I waited for you to run it through me, but it didn't come. It seemed like ages before you finally held it up."

"Yes, I was waiting for you to try and escape." Sideshow Bob explained. "You seemed like you should've tried to get away, so I thought 'Why aren't you running, Bart?'"

"Because I was scared." Bart said, sadly. "I have been threatened by a lot of people, but not with a knife, and not with no one around. I just couldn't move."

The boy continued.

"Anyway, every time you tried to kill me or kidnap me after that, I learned more and more about you, even though most of the facts were not very important, like I learned that you had a brother... and that you actually could love someone enough to get married." Bart paused and looked up at his old rival, changing the subject. "So, what happened to them? Are you ever going back to Italy?"

"I'm sure that I will someday. They probably miss me by now or at least wonder what happened to me." Sideshow Bob sighed. "You know what? I don't think that I will go back. I'll send them a letter and say that I was jailed again and tell them not to try and get me out. It would be too hard on Gino."

"It would be hard on him not to have a father." Bart said, thinking about his dad. The man didn't care about him at all, maybe a little, but it wasn't love. "My dad is horrible to me. He chokes me and hurts my feelings. He's actually hurt me a lot more than you have."

"I'm sorry about that, Bart. Do go on with what you were saying." Bob's eyes were truly sympathetic when Bart looked at them. The boy nodded.

"Anyway," Bart continued. "I found that you could be nice to people after our trip to Italy. I know that you are a great singer, and that you can create very real costumes in a split second. You are talented in writing in blood, and you know how to take over a boat." The boy looked up again at his old rival. "It turns out that I know you more than I know my own dad! All I know about him is that he likes food and beer!"

Sideshow Bob was smiling although he didn't know it.

"That is one reason I let you go. Another is that..." Bart paused and sighed. "I realized that you had given up on killing me after you had 'grown accustomed to my face.' Every other time, I saw the feelings in your eyes. You didn't want to kill me any more than I wanted to die." He laughed. "You don't hide your feelings very well, they show easily."

"Again, guilty as charged." Sideshow Bob said, smiling and remembering his quote the night on the boat.

Bart chuckled and quickly realized that they were winding their way up the steep hill to the Springfield Observatory. The domed building reflected the last of the rays of the setting sun. In a few minutes, the sky would be dark and dotted with millions of stars. The boy's chest filled with a sense of a happiness he had never known as he stood next to his old rival looking out into the Springfield skyline. He propped his head on his folded arms and sighed.

_The End._

_Ha, of course it continues! I'm not that mean! Just out of curiosity, how many people thought that it was someone else who freed Bob? Uugh, I wish I could have suspended the answer to Bob's question further, but it didn't work out that way. Hope you liked the longest chapter so far in the series. I'm pretty sure there will be longer ones. _

_-redskii_


	3. Chapter 3

After a while, as the sun set and the warm evening turned cooler, Bart looked over at Sideshow Bob and noticed that he only had a t-shirt and jeans on. His eyes turned sympathetic and he turned to look at the older man.

"Aren't you cold?" the boy asked.

Sideshow Bob gave him a smirk and chuckled. "Are you _concerned_ about me?"

Bart pushed his lips together and stifled a grin. "_Maybe_."

The sideshow act looked back out to the city and paused. "I think that means yes."

Bart frowned and nodded. "Fine, yeah, it does." He admitted. "So, are you cold or not?"

"No, I'm fine. How about you?"

"I'm good." He lied.

They stood in silence and watched the stars fade into existence in the sky. It was a cloudless night and, after a few minutes, the whole sky was twinkling with the tiny lights accompanied by a large, full moon.

"Kind of makes you feel small, doesn't it?" Sideshow Bob asked, nodding up at the twinkling atmosphere.

"Yeah," Bart said in a dazed voice. "It does. I haven't been up here in a long time... the last time was a school field trip when we came to see the moon eclipse."

"Wow, that must have been pretty neat." Bob said, looking down at the boy. He looked like he was shivering or something. He moved his arm up and around Bart's shoulder.

Bart's chest heaved as the redhead put his arm around him. The boy had never felt like this before; it felt like every breath in his body had been stolen away from him. He was very cold at the moment and the extra warmth was a welcome comfort. With a slow sideways motion, he moved closer to the ex-convict, leaning his head on his side.

Sideshow Bob smiled and hugged the boy closer. He was happy that Bart hadn't reacted in the wrong way about his action.

After about a half of an hour of looking up at the stars, the clouds finally moved in, covering up most of the sky. Bart straightened up and looked at Sideshow Bob.

"I guess I should get home now." He said, putting his hands in his pockets and turning to walk back to his house.

"You shouldn't be walking alone at this time of night." Sideshow Bob pointed out, hurrying to catch up to the boy.

"Eh, I've done it tons of times. Millhouse and me always go to this cave at night on breaks to explore." He paused, smiling up at Bob. "But I'd like the company, I guess."

They walked in a calm silence back to the boy's house, although both of their minds were raging with thoughts.

'Why did I feel like that?' Bart thought, his eyebrows furrowing slightly and his hands stuffed into his pockets. 'I've never felt that way before. My God, it felt so... weird! I felt like every breath was... gone from me; like I couldn't breathe or something!' His face turned normal again. 'But... then again... I felt so wonderful after the feeling faded away. I felt so warm inside, not just physically, but emotionally!'

'Did I do the right thing?' Sideshow Bob asked himself. 'Was it too sudden? Too fast? What... what _did_ I do, exactly? The moment was over in almost a split-second I almost didn't feel anything. Did I do anything stupid?'

Their silence carried them to Bart's house in what felt like almost an instant. The boy looked up at his new friend and smiled.

"Thanks" He said.

"For what, Bart?"

"For hanging out with me tonight, and for apologizing. That meant a lot to me." Bart stepped a little bit closer to Bob, but he wasn't noticed.

"Oh, it's not a problem, I don't mind at all. I have nothing to do these days, anyway. By the way, feel free to pop by to say hello." Sideshow Bob smiled and gave the boy a card with his street address on it.

"Ok, I will!" Bart said, putting the card into his pocket.

"Goodbye!" Sideshow Bob patted Bart on the head and turned to walk away.

Bart didn't think that a little pat on the head was enough of a goodbye. He speed-walked up to him and hugged the man around the hips, attaching his hands together so that the clown couldn't get away.

Sideshow Bob (who wasn't expecting this at all, mind you) opened his eyes as wide as saucers. He looked down at Bart, who seemed to be as happy as a clam just standing there and hugging him around the waist, and frowned out of pure shock. His face calmed down after a minute and he gently pulled Bart's hands off of him. He bent over to face Bart at eye level.

"What was that for?" he asked calmly, though his heart was beating incredibly fast.

Bart just closed his eyes and beamed an incredibly wide smile before running into his house and slamming the door.

Sideshow Bob grumbled as if he had just stepped on the wrong end of a rake. He walked home slowly to fix himself a cup of Earl Grey tea with a twist of lemon and swallow down two extra-strength Tylenol caplets. He sat in front of a small fire and sighed.

So many questions were swarming in his head. He couldn't begin to answer any of them.

As soon as the fire died, he slumped up to bed and, without getting changed, fell into a calm sleep thinking that he would see Bart tomorrow. He figured that the boy could answer some of his queries.

Unfortunately, he would not see Bart for a very long time.

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_Dun dun dunnnnnnnn!_

_Ha, big cliffhanger, eh? Well, I'll get to the fourth chapter soon enough! Just for the record, I don't own the Simpsons or Tylenol. xD Hope you liked!_


	4. Chapter 4

It had been four years, one month and three days since Sideshow Bob had last seen Bart that fall night. Yes, he had been counting.

He had thought of every reason that the boy didn't show his face. Was he still scared of Bob? Did he just forget? Or maybe he... died.

No, he would never. Or would he? Did the boy kill himself? Get run over by a car?

Gruesome images flooded Bob's mind and he shook them out. It was a calm, snowy night in Springfield, the kind of night where you just wanted to watch the fire die down while sipping a hot mug of tea, not the night where you want to dream about someone getting killed.

He stared out into his white backyard. It seemed so pure, so perfect, especially with the moon making the snow glisten. He smiled, happy to get the thought of Bart out of his mind.

To tell the truth, he hadn't really thought about the boy much these past years. The clown had been very busy, in fact. He made his best effort to become the happy person that he was before the Bart incident. He remade friends from before and even with Chief Wiggum and the other police officers, inviting them over to have dinner or just to talk. Little by little, he gained knowledge of Bart, whom they said had practically disappeared off of the face of the earth. Of course, Bob did not believe them.

He was knocked out of his calm trance by the hurried ringing of his two-tone doorbell. Grumbling, Bob went to the door and opened it.

A soggy, tall boy was standing in front of him, his calm face interrupted by a hopeful grin and confident blue eyes. His expression was pale and lifeless other than that. Around his body was a white one-piece suit... a straightjacket, but the arm buckles were undone, letting the boy hang his arms, the left holding a small card with _his_ address, Sideshow Bob's _personal_ address, scribbled on it. The boy's golden yellow hair was messy, sticking out in all directions and it made the jacket suit him very well.

"Umm, _who_ are you?" Bob asked, looking very confused. Inside he was even a bit scared. Did he have a _stalker_? Who was this kid?

Without warning, the boy ran up to Bob and hugged him around the chest, crying onto the man's shirt. His head reached up to around Bob's shoulders.

"Don't you remember me? It's Bart!" He was laughing hysterically now and Sideshow Bob was completely frightened. Whether this Bart person was laughing for joy or laughing because he was insane, he couldn't tell. It couldn't be the real Bart, anyway. His Bart would _never_ go crazy, not in a million years.

Sideshow Bob pushed the boy away from him and examined his face. It was tear-stained and he was smiling broadly. He definitely had the same eyes, and the same hair, even though this kid's hair was incredibly chaotic compared to the neat little spikes of his ex-nemesis. It _was_ Bart, actually. But why did he have a straightjacket on? And why was he acting so hectic?

"I, um, what happened to you?" He was afraid to ask the question, but did anyway out of pure curiosity. Bart's smile faded into a small, sheepish frown and his eyes dulled from their previous happiness to harsh and unforgiving.

"I... I'll tell you inside." His eyes darted back and fourth, as if looking for anyone in earshot. Sideshow Bob was still a little skeptical about letting this odd new Bart into his home, but complied, letting the kid wander into his living room.

'I just hope he isn't _too_ crazy' the man thought, closing the door from the cold. The image of a maniac kid rampaging through his house was not very comforting. Bart sat calmly on a chair by the fire, his eyes closed in thought and his arms crossed, letting him soak up the warmth of the room. Sideshow Bob sat back into his chair on the opposite side of the room, shocked to see Bart behaving so well. The kid seemed to be normal now, his eyes opened and his smile returned, although less maniacal this time.

"Sorry about that," he said, wiping away a tear and sniffing. "I just haven't seen a friend in a while. My dad was the only one home when they dropped me off, and..." Bart paused and shook his head. "Anyway, I bet you are wondering why I never came here after we saw each other last."

Sideshow Bob nodded solemnly, a slight frown quavering on his lips. Bart looked so sad; he wished he had never doubted his sanity. He actually seemed very mature, like he was done fooling around and was ready for the real world. The kid smiled and continued, running a hand through his wet hair.

"Well, I guess I should start at the beginning. At school a few weeks after that night, I was daydreaming about something, I think, but that's not important. What is, is that Mr. Skinner, our principal called me into his office and told me that I was guilty of giving Groundskeeper Willie a concussion. They didn't have any evidence that it was me, it could have been Millhouse for crying out loud! Anyway, it turns out that Willie got such a bad concussion that he became unconscious for three days and after he woke up he suffered a really bad case of amnesia." Bart paused and frowned. "He didn't even remember his own name. And then, these guys in white coats came and took me away from one of my classes, in front of _everyone_. I got sent to a loony bin with all of these whack jobs who can't remember what life was like outside of the stupid place. "

Sideshow Bob sat and sighed. Poor Bart, he must have been mortified. He put on a sympathetic face and frowned. "I am so sorry, Bart." He said in the short silence.

Bart moaned and nodded. "It's fine, but it gets worse after that. I accidentally tripped off one of the alarms in the building and they put me in this cushioned room with nothing to do but stare at the padded walls and just look at the food they give you because you cant move at all. That's how I got this." He frowned and raised his arms, showing off the long-armed jacket to his friend. "Anyway, I stayed in the place for _four years_. Four years spent rotting my head out. I think that I would've rather been in school." He smiled at his little joke. _The_ Bart Simpson would rather be in school? A silly idea if anything.

"So, then today they finally take me out of the place and drive me to my house. As I told you, my dad was the only one around, and he was as drunk as ever. He didn't recognize me, but strangled me all the same, like he always does, and this time almost kills me. I was blanking out, and... and..." He sniffed again and buried his face in the jacket arms, sobbing gently. Bart pulled his face out of the cloth and shook his head. "Then I got out of his hands and ran away. I was so scared that he would follow me that I came here and got soaking wet in the process."

Sideshow Bob was awestruck. He ran a hand through his red hair and shook his head in disbelief. His eyes had a faraway look to them, for he was trying to piece everything together.

"Bart... I'm so sorry!" He said finally, getting up and retrieving a blanket from beside the fireplace. He gave it to Bart who wrapped it around him and moved over to the fire, putting his back facing it. Bob turned back around and sat back down. "You should have called me or something. After you bailed me out of jail, I would do anything for you!"

"That's the thing, they wouldn't listen to me even before I was put into solitary confinement. They thought I had some weird disease that makes me believe that something happened when it didn't... hmm, I forget what its called, but anyway, they wouldn't even look for you. I gave them your address and they promised me that they would come find you, but they didn't thinking that I would forget about it. And now I can't go back because no one else is home except for my maniac dad."

Sideshow Bob nodded and sat up in his chair. There was a long pause until he said; "You can stay as long as you want, Bart, I don't mind at all. We should get you out of your wet clothes. You must be freezing. I'll get you something to wear for the night."

He hurried upstairs and brought down a long-sleeved shirt and pants.

"There's a room in there where you can change." Bob said, pointing into the back hall and handing the clothes to Bart. The boy gathered the quilt around him and smiled weakly, making his way to the back room to get changed. As he came out, feeling warm and loved inside, he saw that the long couch on which he was sitting before was put together as a bed with three cozy quilts and a large pillow.

"You can sleep down here tonight." Sideshow Bob said, smiling happily and pointing to the couch. "My guest room is a mess, I doubt that you would want to sleep there."

"Thank you..." Bart said in a state of awe. He dropped the soaking wet straightjacket next to the fire for it to dry and lay down on the bed, piling the sheets over him and becoming quite comfortable.

"I'll be upstairs if you need anything!" Bob said, turning off the light, but letting the fire burn on in the hearth to keep Bart warm. He climbed the stairs and got into his bed, feeling happy that he had helped someone in need tonight. He drifted off to sleep, hearing the light wind outside and feeling as warm as ever.

Meanwhile, Bart planned in his state of quiet 'slumber'.

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_Crazy, eh? Sorry for not posting in a while, I have had loads of homework to do and whatnot. I'll try to post early next weekend!!_


	5. Chapter 5

The night wore on as calm as any other. Everything slept in a peaceful state, except for Bart Simpson. His nightmares were getting worse and worse after his solitary confinement, and tonight was even more horrible. The boy's father was holding a knife and chasing him around with it, and after long and terrifying moments, Homer would back Bart into a corner and strike out, missing because of his drinking. Bart would then run away and his father would catch up, and the horrifying routine would continue.

After a long, exhausting fifteen minutes on the run in his nightmare, Bart woke up, breathing heavily. His body was warm and felt wonderful, but his head was spinning. Everything was so confusing ever since that fateful day when the loony police came to pick him up.

He looked over to his left, staring into the dying embers of the once large and happy fire. Maybe he should be back in the insane asylum; perhaps his family had put him there for a real reason and just didn't want to tell him. It was all over now, though; Bart was with someone who cared for him.

He looked over to the stairs and smirked tiredly. Gathering his blanket around him, Bart carefully walked over to and up the stairs, cautiously trying to make no noise to disturb Sideshow Bob. The boy checked the first room on his right, but that was the 'messy' guest room. To him, it looked perfectly fine. He closed that door and made his way over to the master bedroom, peeking in at the man who once thought to kill him.

Sideshow Bob looked so peaceful, as calm and collected as the night in which Bart stood frozen to the spot. He looked nothing like a murderer, in fact. It was the absolute opposite. Bart smiled tenderly and crept around to the side of Bob's bed that wasn't occupied and slid under the covers.

Bob's eyes opened tiredly as he felt Bart climb into the bed and moved over so that he had more room. It wasn't like the clown was going to stop Bart; he knew that when the boy makes up his mind, he keeps the thought. Stubborn. It wasn't like he wasn't shocked to feel the boy close to him again or anything.

Carefully, as to not disturb the boy, Bob put his arm over Bart's neck, letting his hand drape over the oddly bumpy surface. Bart groaned in pain as the clown stroked his neckline, cuddling up closer to Bob's chest and putting his forehead on the fabric of the shirt.

'That's odd,' Sideshow Bob thought, softly rubbing the boy's neck in almost confusion. 'Oh my God.' He realized that the bumps were most likely bruises; bruises from the maniac father that almost killed Bart.

'You are safe now, Bart.' Bob thought, smiling and hugging the boy closer. 'I'll make sure that idiot of a father will never touch you again.'

And with that, the two fell asleep: Bart a calm sleep free of nightmares, feeling happy and carefree, and Bob feeling warmer than he ever felt in his life.

The moon rose in the sky late that night, and as it did, more and more stars twinkled out from the cloud drapes over the sky. The clouds finally disappeared and as the last late night lantern turned off, the whole sky was covered in stars, almost, if not more than the night that Bart silently confessed his love to Sideshow Bob.

Tomorrow, Bob would find out about that confession.

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_Yay, I got the next chapter out! Again, the disclaimer is that I don't own the Simpsons. If I did, then I probably wouldn't be writing some silly fanfiction on it._

_Next chapter comes out next week, dudes and dudettes._

_-redskii_


	6. Chapter 6

Morning arose, but it didn't have a beautiful sunrise as the weatherman had suggested the previous night. A thick layer of overcast clouds hung over the sky, mirroring the drab, snow-covered ground. Sideshow Bob was contemplating how ironic how pure snow was when it falls and then it turns that depressing brownish-gray, when he was woken up by a soft sigh and a shifting at his side. He suddenly realized that last night was no dream; Bart was still sleeping peacefully next to him and, as he looked fondly at the boy, he saw that the bruises were still raised in an ugly manner on his neck.

Cautiously, he placed a hand over Bart's waist and slowly pulled him closer. Bart snuggled in and sighed again. He pushed his head into Bob's shirt and fell back into a deep sleep. Sideshow Bob growled slightly, wanting to get up and make breakfast, but when he pulled away, he was met by thin arms holding him firm. He rustled Bart's hair lightly and pushed his nose into his golden tresses. It smelled of spring flowers and sweat, but was as soft as down feathers.

Bart yawned and Sideshow Bob recoiled, pretending to be asleep with a slight smile on his face. Bart opened his eyes in the dim room and looked up at his former nemesis. He seemed to be at peace, sleeping with a soft smirk on his handsome features. Warily, he put a hand on the one on his waist, bringing it up to his chest and holding it close to him. His next move was risky, but, for the sake of letting out his secret, Bart swiftly grabbed Bob's other hand and flung himself on top of the older man, pressing his arms on the bed.

Sideshow Bob opened his eyes just in time to feel Bart's lips on his. He fluttered his eyelids and, although surprised, kissed Bart back, just not as passionately as the boy was. Bart pulled back, taking a breath and looked down at Bob's tranquil visage. The redhead smiled, eyes closed, and shook his head.

"Foolish." He murmured, chuckling as he twisted Bart's hands into his and flipped the boy on his back. He opened his eyes, happy with the change of power, and stroked Bart's hair with his free hand. "You should know that I am not one for being on bottom."

Bart had figured that it would end this way and mentally slapped himself. That was probably one point off of their friendship. He grinned devilishly and abruptly felt helpless. His hands were pinned above his head and the rest of his body was limp. One of the fantasies that he had made for himself and Bob played through his head on high speed. Bart actually had plenty of experience with this kind of love, as he had shared it with a few of his roommates in the Asylum, and he could tell who wanted top and who wanted bottom with a fair amount of accuracy.

Bob took in the boy's features and plunged in for another kiss, this time with him as dominating as a slave's master. Bart groaned, closing his eyes as the older man's kisses rained down his neck; his chest heaved as a hand scraped down his back.

Sideshow Bob was amazed at himself. He couldn't believe that such small actions could make Bart pleasured. Perhaps it was the boy's first time? No, it couldn't be; Bart was much too composed at the moment. And plus, he was a teenage boy for crying out loud!

As Bob broke the lip lock, Bart squirmed. He sat up, gazing fondly over at the red haired man. Sideshow Bob sneered and hugged the boy closer as he fell into his arms. They stayed like that for a moment, until Bart pushed the man down and then they just lay on the bed wrapped in each other's arms. They both closed their eyes, thinking that words would only scar the moment.

Sideshow Bob didn't feel like making breakfast any more.

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_Arg, I've had so much darn stuff to do... I totally forgot about this! And then I needed an idea (which came about last night when I was thinking before I went to bed)._

_This is probably the end, although I may do an alternate ending. Tell me if you think that it needs it please and thanks! Somehow it just doesn't end right... I dunno. If I don't end up doing that, I hope that you all liked the story! Again, sorry for the long delay._

_-redskii_


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